Vector Network News

Vector’s Outage Manager, a
world leading customer service outage app for android and
iPhone, is now available on iPad.

Designed and developed
in New Zealand, the Vector Outage Manager app is available
free to Vector’s more than 690,000 customers at either the
App Store or Google Play.

Customers can bookmark important
locations such as their home, school or workplace or
multiple work sites. Vector’s system does the rest and
‘pushes’ the information out to customers. They get
updates in real time about outages and are directed to
emergency customer numbers.

For customers with other non
iOS or android smartphones, outage information can be
accessed via Vector’s mobile website. The company’s
other communication channels for outage notification
(Twitter and Vector website) also run the interactive outage
map.

Since launch, the uptake has been impressive. From
late March 2013, to present, the API (application programme
interface) behind the app has been accessed 701,356 times
– that’s an average of 70,135 per month.

NETWORK
SUMMARY for week ending 12 January
2014ELECTRICITY

West Auckland bore the brunt of
vehicle incidents this week with three vehicle v pole
accidents. In Henderson a truck hit both a rail over bridge
and then Vector’s pole carrying two 11kV circuits. The
resulting damage caused a power outage to the area and it
took some hours to restore the power to customers. Other
incidents included a car v pole in Piha and another in
Massey.

A transformer door was found opened with
electrical wires exposed in Papakura during the week and a
member of the public reported sparking from power lines in
Glendene which was investigated urgently and dealt with.
There was no damage found to any equipment.

Several
areas experienced a loss of power for a short time due to an
outage at a zone substation which affected some customers on
Waiheke Island, Clevedon and Maraetai.

Our crews
were called out to isolate the power for safety reasons
after fire affected properties in Auckland CBD, Grey Lynn,
Manurewa and in Hamilton.

GAS

Contractors struck a gas pipe in Hamilton while carrying
out work, while a smell of gas was reported in the Auckland
suburb of Henderson.

PROJECTS

Warkworth
substation

An upgrade of the grounds around
Warkworth substation is underway including upgrading of the
perimeter fence and extension of the switchyard to allow
vehicle access. A new 11 kV feeder reinforcing the supply
to Warkworth township will be livened at the same time.

SHORTS

• Vector owns over 17,800
kilometres of overhead and underground lines in the greater
Auckland area, and 12,752 of gas pipe lines, almost half of
which supply gas to Auckland.

The whitebait fry - considered a delicacy by many - are the juveniles of five species of galaxiid, four of which are considered threatened or declining. The SMC asked freshwater experts for their views on the sustainability of the whitebait fishery and whether we're doing enough to monitor the five species of galaxiid that make up whitebait. More>>

The New Zealand government's accounts recorded a smaller-than-forecast deficit in the first four months of the fiscal year on a higher-than-expected inflow of corporate and goods and services tax. More>>

Steel & Tube Holdings, along with two other companies, will be prosecuted by the Commerce Commission following the regulator's investigation into seismic steel mesh, while Fletcher Building's steel division has been given a warning. More>>

• For car owners, a 13% reduction in the average Motor Vehicle levy • For businesses, a 10% reduction in the average Work levy, and changes to workplace safety incentive products • For employees, due to an increase in claims volumes and costs, a 3% increase in the Earners’ levy. More>>